The Second to Last Airbender
by WildRelapsedCreature
Summary: What if Aang wasn't the last airbender? What if there was one more?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters. I only own Arra. Any of the story line that doesn't seem familiar, I most likely do not own.**

 _Water, earth, fire, air._

 _Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when the fire nation attacked. Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him the most, he vanished. A hundred years past and my brother and I discovered the new Avatar. An airbender named Aang. Although his air bending skills are great, he's got a lot to learn before he's ready to save anyone._

 _But I believe, Aang can save the world._

Arra POV

I pulled my hood up and over my head, weaving through the streets of Omashu. I was trying to find something to do. The King was pretty lenient with letting me stay, but I needed to find my place in this world. I needed to do what I could to help everyone. Just existing in Omashu didn't do me any good whatsoever. I was able to bend, but I wouldn't allow myself to show it off. I couldn't, otherwise I'd put myself in danger. Everyone thought that there weren't any airbenders left, but there were. I was the last one. I was the only airbender left of my kind. But I wasn't the Avatar. I couldn't save the world, I wasn't anything special. The Avatar was gone. He left us to suffer by ourselves. I might be an airbender, but I can't save anyone. I'd be hunted if the fire nation knew what I was. If I was in a group, then sure, maybe I'd use my bending and make a stand. My staff was back at the palace. Anything that related me to an airbender, I had to get rid of or leave at the palace.

I found a stand of random items to look at. Brushing my fingers over them, I wasn't really paying attention. I was really out of sorts. Someone tapped my shoulder. I turned to see some old guy with some weird hat thing. He had a mustache, beard thing going on.

"Excuse me miss, but what's that on you're hand?"

I looked down and silently cursed, pulling my sleeve over my master airbending tattoos.

"I-it's nothing sir. Excuse me please." I darted away towards the palace.

"Wait!" I heard him call from behind me.

I kept running. Running away was what I'm good at. I made it into the palace and pulled back my hood. I nodded my head to one of the guards and went to bother Bumi. I knocked on his door.

"Enter!"

"Hello Bumi." I smiled.

"Arra! Well you weren't gone for long!"

"No. Someone saw my tattoos. I've got to be more careful."

"I still don't understand why you won't let your abilities show. Your bending is something you shouldn't be ashamed of."

"I'm not ashamed of it! I- It's complicated."

"Well you'd do a lot more good out in the real world, saving others instead of in here with an an old crazy man like me."

"But how would I know that you wouldn't just fall over and break something?"

"Hey! I'm not the clumsy one."

"No, but you did say you were the old one."

I laughed at Bumi's expression.

"I'm going to go change. I have a feeling that you're going to have guests tonight."

"Is that so?"

"Bye Bumi."

I left the room smiling to myself. I was happy that I'd managed to talk to Bumi. Sometimes he was too busy to have a regular conversation with me. I brushed my hair as I waited for dinner. Someone knocked on my door.

"Yes?" I asked.

"King Bumi would like for you to come into the throne room to speak with him. Some children have been causing some chaos that needs to be dealt with." the guard before me informed.

"Alright."

I left after the guard and headed towards the throne room.

"Bumi." I bowed.

"Ah Arra, happy you're here! I'd like for you to sit with me as I talk to our guests." he informed.

"Oh. Let me quickly get a poncho."

"No, no. These are safe guests. I already know. You're safe."

"Only if you're sure."

"I'm sure."

I stood with my hands clasped in front of me next to the throne as we waited for the 'guests' to come in. I was wearing a yellow short sleeve top and some orange pants. I looked very airbendery, which is what I was going for. I had left my feet bare, so you could see the tattoos stretched to my feet and my yellow, orange, and red beaded anklets. My black bangs were pinned to the side so the arrow on my forehead was visible as well.

"Your majesty, these juveniles were arrested for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses, and malicious destruction of cabbages." a guard informed the King as three kids were brought into the throne room.

'An airbender." I thought, masking my surprise.

The three of them looked at me wide eyed, considering how much I stood out compared to the others. I spaced out the conversation that was going on to study the three new people. Two from the water tribe. Southern most likely, and the airbender. Could it possibly be the Avatar? The one who's been missing for all these years?

"Throw them, a feast!" I looked over shocked at Bumi's words.

I leaned up to whisper in his ear, "Your majesty, do you really think this is a wise idea?"

Bumi looked at me and grinned. I shook my head and gave him a pointed look.

We moved to the dining room and I sat to the right of Bumi. I wouldn't eat anything as I studied the trio.

Bumi chuckled, "The people in my city have gotten fat from too many feasts. So I hope you like your chicken with no skin."

"Thanks, but I don't eat meat." the Avatar informed.

I smiled. Spoken like a true airbender.

"How about you? I bet you like meat." Bumi shoved a chicken leg into the water tribe boy's mouth.

The three whispered as Bumi sat down.

"So tell me young Avatar, where are you from?"

"I'm from.. Kangaroo Island!" the Avatar replied.

"Oh, Kangaroo Island eh? I hear that place is really hopping!"

I looked at Bumi and rolled my eyes again. The water tribe boy began to laugh.

"Your majesty, if you'll excuse me." I nodded and stood to leave.

"Well! You're no fun!"

"Come talk with me later sire, there's something we need to discuss."

"Of course."

I bowed to him and nodded to the trio before taking my leave.

Oh yeah, there was a lot that Bumi and I needed to discuss.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters. I only own Arra. Any of the story line that doesn't seem familiar, I most likely do not own.**

Arra POV

It was quite awhile later when I had gotten my summons again from the King. The guards let me into the throne room, the three "guests" no where to be seen.

"With all due respect, what were you thinking?" I instantly began, "What if this is a threat? You and I both know that the Fire Nation is attacking all benders, Omashu is already on risk of being attacked."

"Arra, this boy, I know him. He's the Avatar." Bumi informed.

"I know he is. But Bumi, even if you once knew him, he's been missing for one hundred years!"

"The Avatar is someone I consider an old friend. I knew him well in my youth. He is trustworthy, he is strong. But he's confused, lost. He doesn't want this burden to bear."

I was silent. When Bumi took me in, what seemed like so long ago, I agreed with myself that any friend of Bumi's was a friend of mine. I sighed.

"I trust you with my life King Bumi. I do. But Omashu isn't safe. You and I know that. I can't protect it, no matter how hard I try. If Omashu falls, without the Avatar, the Fire Nation will have won this war."

"Have faith Arra. That's all we can truly do right now. Have faith in what the future holds."

Bumi had a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is it that you have planned for our dear Avatar?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing too special."

"Oh Bumi."

Turns out, I was right in thinking that Bumi's plan was mischievous. The Avatar had to go through three tests, the rewards being his friends back. Bumi had put jennamite rings on their fingers. Jennamite was similar to rock candy. Easily breakable, and tasted great. Though they didn't know that. While the tasks had been taking place, I was wandering the palace, knowing that it was probably the last time I was going to see its halls. Bumi considered himself a "mad genius." Knowing him as I did, I was sure he was plotting. As usual.

Once again finding myself in the throne room of the palace, I was directed to the final challenge between Bumi and the Avatar. I stood silently next to the Avatar's friends as I watched the end of the duel. Out of the choices the Avatar had been given, he had picked Bumi to duel instead of one of the other two warriors. Bumi ended up calling the match a draw. Before Bumi freed the Avatar's friends, he demanded that the Avatar guess his name.

"Bumi, you're a mad genius." the Avatar grinned.

I smiled slightly. He wasn't wrong. It was the Avatar who gave him his infamous nickname then. Before I knew it, the Avatar and his friends were being herded back to the throne room.

"On your quest, there will be a lot of hardships. I cannot journey with you, but, I'd like for you to take someone." I stepped forewords at Bumi's words, "This is Arra. Like you Aang, she's an airbender. Her story is her's to tell. She will be a valuable asset to your journey."

"It is nice to finally meet you Avatar Aang." I bowed slightly.

"No no no just Aang. It's just Aang." Aang corrected.

"Well then 'just Aang' shall we get going?"

I hoisted my pack on my shoulder, my staff in the other hand. I turned to give Bumi a hug.

"Thank you dear friend. I owe you a debt that can never be fully repaid."

"Consider that debt paid. You're not an acquaintance. You're a friend. And you're always welcome back in Omashu." Bumi warmly replied.

"Thank you."

Before we left though, Aang and Bumi went down the mail chutes one last time together. With goodbyes made, we parted on top of Aang's flying bison.

"We haven't been completely introduced," the water tribe girl spoke up, "I'm Katara. That's my brother Sokka. You've already met Aang."

Sokka slightly waved at me, he was looking over some paper, what I'm assuming was a map.

"And this is Appa! He's my flying bison!" Aang added in, causing me to smile.

"Well, where to?" I asked.

The journey had just begun, more at store than any of us really realized at that point in time.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters. I only own Arra. Any of the story line that doesn't seem familiar, I most likely do not own.**

Arra POV

I had been with the Avatar and his friends for a week now. When I lived there, I was ready to leave. Ready for adventure. But now that I was with the Avatar, I kind of missed Omashu. Don't get me wrong, I was amazed by the sights I had seen. I had never seen so much, not since before I had taken refuge in Omashu.

"So, Arra. I was thinking. We don't really know much about one another." the water tribe girl, who's name I learned was Katara, announced.

"No. I guess not." I replied quietly.

"Where did you come from before Omashu? Just, how did you find King Bumi?"

"Yeah. And how did you stay hidden from all of the Firebenders?" Sokka, the water tribe boy, narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Not all of the Airbenders were completely wiped out after the Fire Nation's attack. There were three who survived. My grandma and her two friends. They travelled in secret, although very difficult since they were master Airbenders. My grandma eventually met my grandfather. A non bender who just wanted to help. He didn't believe in what the Fire Nation had done. So he helped hide both my grandmother and her friends. A few years later, my father was born. Once they found out that he was an Airbender as well, they decided to train him. It would do no good to travel with an Airbender that couldn't control their powers. My father met my mother, a young girl in the village they had resided in. Once they grew older, they had me. But I wasn't supposed to happen. I was an accident. So my parents fled from the village. My grandparents had died of disease by that time, along with my grandmothers friends. I grew up learning from my father. Then, when I was eleven, someone tipped off the Fire Nation. My parents were killed. And they left me with this."

I pulled up my shirt to show them my torso, covered in old, ugly white and red burn scars. Sokka, Katara, and Aang gasped.

"I was severely injured, not knowing what to do, I continued on. I found Omashu one day. The guards caught me thieving from a stand and took me to King Bumi. He knew what I was, so he asked his guards to leave him be. It was then that he offered me sanctuary. As long as I had stayed as his advisor, he'd let me stay in Omashu."

"King Bumi saved your life." Katara added in awe.

"He did. For that, I can never repay him enough. He took me in even though I was a fugitive. Even though I could've brought on the destruction of Omashu. He still believed in me."

Katara, Sokka, and Aang were silent. I tried not to fidget under their intense stares. Being the center of attention wasn't something I was fond of. I was a fugitive after all.

"I mean, I figured King Bumi was a great leader, but I never expected that." Sokka awed.

Katara elbowed him in the side.

"Ow! What?" he whined.

I let a small smile of amusement slip.

"Well, I'm sorry for what happened to you, but I'm happy you're safe and that you've decided to join us on our mission." Katara composed herself after silently scolding her brother.

"Thank you Katara." I murmured.

The next part of our journey was continued in heavy silence. Aang had been silent, and from the stories I had heard, from how I had seen him act, that was unlike the airbender. But it wasn't my place to question him. Bumi would be very unhappy with me if I had ended up returning to Omashu, only a few days into my trip. So despite my growing worry, I kept silent. Aang was the Avatar after all.

"Alright. So we're stopping here." Sokka suddenly announced.

Aang steered Appa towards the ground. The giant flying bison let out a grunt of relief once he hit the ground. After Aang had hit the ground, I got up off of Appa myself. I stroked the majestic beast lightly and absentmindedly. There was a lot on my mind, I usually don't talk much about my past. I missed my family. Quite a bit actually. It was weird that I had willingly, and so openly, talked about my family to the Avatar and his friends. I usually didn't do things like that.

"Let's set up camp." Katara announced, breaking the silence that had fallen over all of us, "Sokka, you get the firewood. Arra and I will get the things off of Appa. Aang, you help Sokka."

Once we all had our designated rolls, with a bit of protest from Sokka, we began to set up camp. I airbendered myself up to Appa's saddle to toss our things down into Katara's waiting arms. After being with the group for a week, we had developed our own little system. It was nice knowing that I finally had a purpose. I mean, being the King's "supervisor" had its perks, but for the first time in my life, I didn't have to hide from what I was. I didn't feel as if I had to act like I was a nonbender. It was a great feeling, something I had never truly felt before.

"This is the last bag Katara." I called, dropping down our last pack.

"Thanks Arra. Will you go herb and berry hunting? We're almost out of food and we won't be near another town until tomorrow." Katara answered, an easy going smile on her face.

"Yeah, of course. I'll be back."

I made sure I had my staff and a small satchel to collect my findings in. Walking into the forest, I took note of how dead and saddened everything looked.

"What happened here?" I whispered, carefully touching a blackened tree.

Pulling my hand away, I glanced at my palm, and noticed the charred skin of the tree had been transfered to my hand.

"Firebenders."


End file.
